Treatment From Above: Prepping for Mosquitoes

Posted:
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 5:11 PM EDT

HARRINGTON, Del. - It's possibly the one universally hated thing about Spring and Summer: The return of mosquitoes. And now the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is taking action to fight these pests, as the mosquito season kicks in.

WBOC joined the Division of Fish and Wildlife, as they loaded a helicopter up with insecticides and hit the skies. Over the next couple weeks, the crew will dump the bacterially produced insecticide, BTI on about 8,000 forested acres spread across the state.

The insecticides will attack immature aquatic larval stages, before they can ever turn into mosquitoes.

"We are spraying a larvacide," he said. "Which is a chemical that targets mature mosquitoes in their aquatic stage to prevent them from hatching off and becoming mosquitoes. And biting people."

All parts of Delaware are impacted by mosquitoes, but DNREC said southern Delaware has the potential to be especially hard hit this year. That's because Sussex and Kent Counties had above average levels of flooding, compared to normal levels in New Castle County.

"It's going to be a bad one this year," said Ernie Gaudioso of Mosquito Authority in Lewes. "But we'll be ready for it."

Gaudioso said that he has seen a lot of sitting water throughout the county, which can be particularly attractive for growing larvae.

"We have all this free standing water," he said. "We get rain, we get run-off from all the sewage. It's a lot of factors that bring water into play and it's just a nightmare."

Seaford police said they arrested two people Tuesday after they allegedly tried to leave a restaurant without paying their bill. The incident escalated when one of them then fled the scene and was found armed with a bow and arrow.More

Seaford police said they arrested two people Tuesday after they allegedly tried to leave a restaurant without paying their bill. The incident escalated when one of them then fled the scene and was found armed with a bow and arrow.More

Maryland gun owners are worried about two big bills that will be discussed at the state capital next week.

House Bill 612 aims to place AR-15 HBAR rifles as a "regulated firearm." If passed by the house, the law would only grandfather in rifles purchased after October 1, 2013. Those purchased after 2013 would have to be returned.

Maryland gun owners are worried about two big bills that will be discussed at the state capital next week.

House Bill 612 aims to place AR-15 HBAR rifles as a "regulated firearm." If passed by the house, the law would only grandfather in rifles purchased after October 1, 2013. Those purchased after 2013 would have to be returned.

The mysterious plane crash on Wroten Island that WBOC reported back in November of 2018 is now being told publicly for the first time in 65 years.

After the original story aired, WBOC received an email from one of the previous owners of Wroten Island. After meeting with that man, Philip Inglehart and longtime friend, Michael Keyser the mystery unfolded on camera.

The mysterious plane crash on Wroten Island that WBOC reported back in November of 2018 is now being told publicly for the first time in 65 years.

After the original story aired, WBOC received an email from one of the previous owners of Wroten Island. After meeting with that man, Philip Inglehart and longtime friend, Michael Keyser the mystery unfolded on camera.